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Joshua 9

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Guile of the Gibeonites

1 Now it came about when 1all the kings who were beyond the Jordan, in the hill country and in the lowland and on all the 2coast of the Great Sea toward * Lebanon, 3the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, heard of it,
2 that they gathered themselves together with 4one accord to fight with Joshua and with Israel.
3 When the inhabitants of 5Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and to Ai,
4 they also acted craftily and set out as envoys, and took worn-out sacks on their donkeys, and wineskins worn-out and torn and mended,
5 and worn-out and patched sandals on their feet, and worn-out clothes on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and had become crumbled.
6 They went to Joshua to the 6camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us."
7 The men of Israel said to the 7Hivites, "Perhaps you are living within our land; 8how then shall we make a covenant with you?"
8 But they said to Joshua, "9We are your servants." Then Joshua said to them, "Who are you and where do you come from?"
9 They said to him, "Your servants have come from 10a very far country because of the fame of the LORD your God; for 11we have heard the report of Him and all that He did in Egypt,
10 and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon king of Heshbon and to Og king of Bashan who was at Ashtaroth.
11 "So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, 'Take provisions in your hand for the journey, and go to meet them and say to them, "12We are your servants; now then, make a covenant with us."'
12 "This our bread was warm when we took it for our provisions out of our houses on the day that we left to come to you; but now behold, it is dry and has become crumbled.
13 "These wineskins which we filled were new, and behold, they are torn; and these our clothes and our sandals are worn out because of the very long journey."
14 So the men of Israel took some of their provisions, and 13did not ask for the counsel of the LORD.
15 14Joshua made peace with them and made a covenant with them, to let them live; and the leaders of the congregation swore an oath to them.
16 It came about at the end of three days after they had made a covenant with them, that they heard that they were neighbors and that they were living within their land.
17 Then the sons of Israel set out and came to their cities on the third day. Now their cities were 15Gibeon and Chephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-jearim.
18 The sons of Israel did not strike them because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by the LORD the God of Israel. And the whole congregation grumbled against the leaders.
19 But all the leaders said to the whole congregation, "We have sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel, and now we cannot * touch them.
20 "This we will do to them, even let them live, so that wrath will not be upon us for the oath which we swore to them."
21 The leaders said to them, "Let them live." So they became 16hewers of wood and drawers of water for the whole congregation, just as the leaders had spoken to them.
22 Then Joshua called for them and spoke to them, saying, "Why have you deceived us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' 17when you are living within our land?
23 "Now therefore, you are 18cursed, and you shall never cease being slaves, both hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."
24 So they answered Joshua and said, "19Because it was certainly told your servants that the LORD your God had commanded His servant Moses to give you all the land, and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land before * you; therefore we feared greatly for our lives because * of you, and have done this thing.
25 "Now behold, 20we are in your hands; do as it seems good and right in your sight to do to us."
26 Thus he did to them, and delivered them from the hands of the sons of Israel, and they did not kill them.
27 But Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, to this day, 21in the place which He would choose.
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Joshua 9 Commentary

Chapter 9

The kings combine against Israel. (1,2) The Gibeonites apply for peace. (3-13) They obtain peace, but are soon detected. (14-21) The Gibeonites are to be bondmen. (22-27)

Verses 1-2 Hitherto the Canaanites had defended themselves, but here they consult to attack Israel. Their minds were blinded, and their hearts hardened to their destruction. Though often at enmity with each other, yet they united against Israel. Oh that Israel would learn of Canaanites, to sacrifice private interests to the public welfare, and to lay aside all quarrels among themselves, that they may unite against the enemies of God's kingdom!

Verses 3-13 Other people heard these tidings, and were driven thereby to make war upon Israel; but the Gibeonites were led to make peace with them. Thus the discovery of the glory and the grace of God in the gospel, is to some a savour of life unto life, but ( 2 Corinthians. 2:16 ) softens wax and hardens clay. The falsehood of the Gibeonites cannot be justified. We must not do evil that good may themselves to the God of Israel, we have reason to think Joshua would have been directed by the oracle of God to spare their lives. But when they had once said, "We are come from a far country," they were led to say it made of skins, and their clothes: one lie brings on another, and that a third, and so on. The way of that sin is especially down-hill. Yet their faith and prudence are to be commended. In submitting to Israel they submitted to the God of Israel, which implied forsaking their idolatries. And how can we do better than cast ourselves upon the mercy of a God of all goodness? The way to avoid judgment is to meet it by repentance. Let us do like these Gibeonites, seek peace with God in the rags of abasement, and godly sorrow; so our sin shall not be our ruin. Let us be servants to Jesus, our blessed Joshua, and we shall live.

Verses 14-21 The Israelites, having examined the provisions of the Gibeonites, hastily concluded that they confirmed their account. We make more haste than good speed, when we stay not to take God with us, and do not consult him by the word and prayer. The fraud was soon found out. A lying tongue is but for a moment. Had the oath been in itself unlawful, it would not have been binding; for no obligation can render it our duty to commit a sin. But it was not unlawful to spare the Canaanites who submitted, and left idolatry, desiring only that their lives might be spared. A citizen of Zion swears to his own hurt, and changes not, ( Psalms 15:4 ) . Joshua and the princes, when they found that they had been deceived, did not apply to Eleazar the high priest to be freed from their engagement, much less did they pretend that no faith is to be kept with those to whom they had sworn. Let this convince us how we ought to keep our promises, and make good our bargains; and what conscience we ought to make of our words.

Verses 22-27 The Gibeonites do not justify their lie, but plead that they did it to save their lives. And the fear was not merely of the power of man; one might flee from that to the Divine protection; but of the power of God himself, which they saw engaged against them. Joshua sentences them to perpetual bondage. They must be servants, but any work becomes honourable, when it is done for the house of the Lord, and the offices thereof. Let us, in like manner, submit to our Lord Jesus, saying, We are in thy hand, do unto us as seemeth good and right unto thee, only save our souls; and we shall not repent it. If He appoints us to bear his cross, and serve him, that shall be neither shame nor grief to us, while the meanest office in God's service will entitle us to a dwelling in the house of the Lord all the days of our life. And in coming to the Saviour, we do not proceed upon a peradventure. We are invited to draw nigh, and are assured that him that cometh to Him, he will in nowise cast out. Even those things which sound harsh, and are humbling, and form sharp trials of our sincerity, will prove of real advantage.

Taken from Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)

Cross References 21

Footnotes 9

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO JOSHUA 9

This chapter gives an account of the combination of the several kings of Canaan against Israel, Jos 9:1,2; and of the craftiness of the Gibeonites, pretending they were ambassadors from a far country, and desired to enter into a league with Israel, which they obtained, Jos 9:3-15; but when it was discovered who they were, it occasioned a murmuring among the people, Jos 9:16-18; which the princes quelled by proposing to make them hewers of wood, and drawers of water, Jos 9:19-21; in order to which Joshua summoned them before him, and chided them for beguiling them; and after they had made their excuse, he ordered them to the service the princes proposed, and so peace in the congregation of Israel was preserved, Jos 9:21-27.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Joshua 9 Commentaries

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